JDRF, Selecta Biosciences collaborate on Type 1 diabetes vaccines development

NEW YORK and WATERTOWN, Mass. — The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Selecta Biosciences have established a research collaboration to develop vaccines for Type 1 diabetes, also known as juvenile diabetes.

Through the collaboration, JDRF will provide "milestone-based financial support and expertise" to Selecta, which ultimately would apply its vaccine technology to create a vaccine that would halt or prevent the autoimmune response that causes Type 1 diabetes.

The research collaboration between JDRF and Selecta is part of JDRF's Industry Discovery and Development Partnership program, which launched in 2004.

"Through partnerships like this, JDRF is helping to speed the development of products from the lab to the marketplace, to make sure breakthroughs in science are able to reach the people they are meant to help," JDRF SVP strategic alliances Karin Hehenberger said. "Pooling the resources and strengths of both JDRF and Selecta allows us to work together to advance research that could help many people who have or are at risk for Type 1 diabetes, and we will be more effective in making these innovative products available to them."